Waukesha Water Bills To Switch To Monthly In Spring

WAUKESHA, WI— Waukesha will switch from quarterly to monthly water bills this spring for residential customers of the water and wastewater utilities, according a news release.

“Most ratepayers prefer monthly bills because they align with household budgets for other expenses,” according to Dan Duchniak, general manager of the Waukesha Water Utility. “It also will help users conserve water. Monthly bills will give customers more timely information about their water use, alerting them to overuse due to watering or leaks.” The utility is mailing postcards to residential customers to explain the timing of the change. “Each month, we currently send three‐month bills to a third of our customers,” Duchniak said.

“Depending on which of the three groups you are in, the dates for the transition will be different. The postcard will tell you the dates for your address.”

Duchniak said it is important to note that the first monthly bill will be for more than 30 days, however.

“Because of the differences in the time between your last quarterly bill and your first monthly bill, that first bill will cover between 50 and 80 days of usage, depending on your group” he said. “After that, the bills will cover just a one‐month period.”

Customers who use the automatic payment option will have payments withdrawn on the 15th of each month. Waukesha has begun construction on its Great Water Alliance project, which will switch the city to a Lake Michigan water supply in 2023. Its current groundwater supply is severely depleted and contaminated with radium.

“Every city needs a safe and reliable water supply. The Lake Michigan project will meet that critical infrastructure need in Waukesha. Rate increases will be needed, but we are committed to keeping the costs as affordable as possible,” Duchniak said.

Average residential bills for water supply, wastewater and return flow charges are expected to be about $90 per month by the end of 2021.

Here is what a resident will see: